The Virginian-Pilot
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PORTSMOUTH
A laminated banner inside the doors of Emily N. Spong Preschool Center reads: "Welcome Class of 2023."
This is where some of Portsmouth's poorest 4-year-olds learn to spell their names, recognize letter sounds and master basic addition and subtraction.
I f the General Assembly adopts education cuts in the House version of the budget, preschool would be on the chopping block in both Portsmouth and Norfolk.
That's because, in addition to cutting more than $22.2 million for at-risk students statewide in 2011, the House proposal would change the way the money is doled out to schools. Instead of basing it on where the poorest children live, it would be distributed based on the number of total students.
"It's going to hurt the small, rural divisions and the large, city divisions," said Sarah Geddes, a Richmond-based staff attorney with JustChildren, a legal aid firm. The cuts to at-risk education for Norfolk would be the deepest in the state. Portsmouth's cut would be fourth-largest.
Preschool funding is a large chunk of at-risk funds, which also include money that can be used for tutoring, reading and math specialists, reading programs and limited construction expenses. The House proposal would blend the funds together.
Overall, Portsmouth would lose more than $400 per low-income pupil in at-risk funds, and Norfolk nearly $500 each, according to JustChildren's budget analysis, which compares the House proposal with former Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's budget proposal. Chesapeake and Virginia Beach would gain money per student in the switch. The Senate bill would leave at-risk funding virtually untouched.
Finance chiefs for both Norfolk and Portsmouth schools say cuts to preschool would be nearly unavoidable if the House version prevails.
"There's no magic pool of money to compensate for the money they keep on cutting," said John Maniscalco, chief financial officer for Norfolk public schools.
Preschool is not constitutionally mandated in Virginia, but students who attended public preschool in the state scored significantly higher than other students on literacy tests at the beginning of kindergarten, according to a 2007 analysis by the state's Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission. Long-term effects were less clear, though Norfolk has tracked students long enough to see improved test scores through third grade.
About 600 students attend full-day preschool in Portsmouth, 1,754 in Norfolk. Admissions are by lowest income first, with other factors considered.
At Emily Spong on Monday, teacher Carol Kirk addressed the 4- and 5-year-olds sitting on a rainbow-colored carpet.
"What's one more than five?"
Every hand shot up.
"Nakaiya?"
"Six!"
LaToya Beamon said that because of preschool, her daughter Nakaiya Hudson, 5, has learned basic math and has started to put letters together to make words. Beamon knows Nakaiya will be ready for kindergarten "by the way she's grown from September till now."
Myrna Simmons, who oversees preschool in Norfolk, said that's the reason preschool has expanded from four classrooms in 1974 to 110 today, with a waiting list.
"We've built up a very strong program." Cuts, she said, would hurt the city, families and staff and endanger the overall trend of improvement in the district.
Under the House proposal, both Portsmouth and Norfolk would lose more at-risk funds than they currently spend on their entire preschool programs.
So far, the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus has spoken out against the proposed change, as have some individual legislators.
On the Senate floor Friday, Mary Margaret Whipple, D-Arlington County, said that when there are limited resources, the money should go to the neediest children. About 60 percent of children in Norfolk and Portsmouth schools are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches.
"Give our children, regardless of where they live, the best chance to succeed in the classroom," Whipple said.
Pilot writer Deirdre Fernandes contributed to this story.
Lauren Roth, (757) 222-5133, lauren.roth@pilotonline.com
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cutting the wrong end of the spectrum
maybe a better cut to make
would be state funded medicare to the elderly
if you have parents--it's your responsibility to provide for them
not ours--plus all those old folks are at the end of life
better to invest in the next generation not the last one
look at all the money wasted on expensive drugs and nursing homes
these folks should have saved their money
instead of expecting everybody else to foot the bill for their care
----------------------------------
of course all the above is sarcasm,
but no more heartless than our current leadership in Richmond
Preschool cuts
This is a conersation I HAD to join - granddaughter, now just four, has been in a "private" preschool, but due to financial considerations as well as other issues, we seek to enroll her in the Early Discoveries program provided through the public school system. Thankfully, we live in Va. Beach, which may benefit from these changes. Those who think families who seek educational opportunities for their children though not able to financially extend themselves do not take into consideration the very criteria for such programs - i.e. single parenthood, low income, etc. The two often go together, esp. w/FEMALE single parents. Margert hit it on the head-why punish a child for whom their circumstances are not their fault! Who benefits overall when ALL children (rich and poor families) are well-educated and do not become drop-outs w/NO future! I think we all do.
Mandating employment verification for ALL jobs saves states $$$$
If our state mandated employment verification for ALL jobs it will save our state, individuals and families at least 1 Billion dollars per year, yes 1 billion dollars per year!! It would reduce the costs to our schools, hospitals and everybody else and open up thousands of jobs for OUR unemployed Virginians.
Obama also admitted a few months ago that illegals go to the E.R. and we pay for them!!! If you add this to massive unemployment and the fact that it costs NO additional federal government dollars to mandate it and a lot less than what it costs states not to, there are no more excuses!
Mandate employment verification for all jobs so our own can get back to work and slow the flow of illegals to our E.R.'s, which saves at least 1 Billion dollars per year!!!
schools
What is our government thinking about? taking away funding for pre schoolers! that is exactly where the money should be going and not used to fund these alternative schools and keeping these thugs and hoodlums that are 19 and in the 10th grade. Getting them out will make room for the funding for the very young and those who we can still save.
It would appear
alot of teacher's are posting here in a vain attempt to retain employment. While your collecting unemployment write a thank you letter to the ex-gov. He is the one whom set this course for failure. Get a small business loan and start a school.
budget
New vistas in state government budget resolution: Legalized gambling and pot... ;^) -- cool site; Balkingpoints ; incredible satellite view of earth
the sad thing is
1. Most people in yesterday's poll voted for allocating based on the size of the district and not on poverty rates. Hampton Roads by individual cities are no where near the largest districts in the state.
2. The allocation model is based on population of students enrolled. So essentially, loosing these funds shows that more parents in this area do not value these programs than parents that do value an early start for their children. Or one could be really cynical and come to the conclusion that welfare benefits or job requirement kick in once the child is in school. Either way, it is indicative of the mindset of people who whine and cry about any cut made to education but yet fail to place any real value on an education.
Pre-K education is a necessity.
However, the question of state funded Pre-K education is a valid question to consider.
By the state taking on this responsibility perhaps we enable a group of parents to not prioritize their children's education.
Don't get me wrong I'm not heartless when it comes to the poor but perhaps it's time to stop enabling people with safety nets and encourage them to stand on their own. They'd have self pride and wouldn't that be better than the shame of a generational welfare?
The safety nets are there to
The safety nets are there to protect the not-poor. You let people starve and violent crimes will increase.
How absurd
To think that people may have pay for preschool for their children like I had to ~~insert sarcastic grin~~. What??? No free handouts from everyone's tax dollars!!! This is crazy!!